A ruthless tycoon
Savage ambition has brought common-born Rhys Winterborne vast wealth and success. In business and beyond, Rhys gets exactly what he wants. And from the moment he meets the shy, aristocratic Lady Helen Ravenel, he is determined to possess her. If he must take her virtue to ensure she marries him, so much the better…A sheltered beauty
Helen has had little contact with the glittering, cynical world of London society. Yet Rhys’s determined seduction awakens an intense mutual passion. Helen’s gentle upbringing belies a stubborn conviction that only she can tame her unruly husband. As Rhys’s enemies conspire against them, Helen must trust him with her darkest secret. The risks are unthinkable…the reward, a lifetime of incomparable bliss. And it all begins with…Marrying Mr. Winterborne

Marrying Winterborne (The Ravenels #2)

By Lisa Kleypas

I knew Rhys Winterborne was a good man.

I’ll start off by saying that I really enjoyed Marrying Winterborne. I’m a huge fan of Lisa Kleypas’s historical romances and this one definitely did not disappoint. I think my enjoyment had more to do with Mr Winterborne than Lady Helen, to be honest. I liked that Rhys is a straight shooter. What you see is what you get. He’s an ambitious man who is not afraid of hard work. Yes, he’s a bit bossy and demanding, but a lot of successful people have to be to get what they want. Rhys is also extremely fair and doesn’t narrow-mindedly write someone off for a job because of their sex or their background. If you are willing to do the hard work and prove your value, Rhys will back you 100%. Rhys Winterborne has worked himself up from son of a grocer to a very wealthy department store owner. He does not like to be looked down upon because of his common-born upbringing and is extremely displeased if you attack his Welsh heritage. BUT…all the money in the world has not given him the deportment or education of a gentleman. To me, this is where his great appeal comes through. We see a slight vulnerability. I love a strong, heroic and virile hero who has that touch of vulnerability that makes you want to give him a cuddle. If he’s also confident enough to admits when he’s wrong? I’m a goner.

We start Marrying Winterborne with Rhys having a very unlikely visitor. In Cold Hearted Rake, the first book in the series, we meet and see a budding relationship start between Rhys and Lady Helen Ravenel. Things do not end well, and the end of Cold Hearted Rake sees the ending of the two-week engagement between the couple. So, this visitor being Lady Helen is definitely a surprise to Rhys. What’s even more surprising, is when he find out that Helen wants their engagement back on. What follows is some heartfelt truths disclosed, a wee bit of negotiating and one heck of a ruining…deflowering…compromising…unvirgining?!?!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy…this is one extremely H-O-T book. Lisa Kleypas certainly gives us a very steamy historical romance and it didn’t take long to get there either. We do not have to wait for them to get to know each other, go a-courting, and then suddenly realise they probably should get married before she is ruined, their names are in the trash or someone is called out. We get all those pesky details dealt with in the first 25%…then it’s all fun and games…sort of…not really… Yep, bring in the secret that must be kept or all will be ruined… plotline.

Marrying Winterborne was not a boring book. It held my attention from start to finish. There was a bit of unnecessary drama when Helen kept a secret from Rhys, but I suppose if there was not angst in the storyline, some people might be unhappy or unsatisfied. For me, though, I dropped a star because of it. View Spoiler »« Hide SpoilerSee, I knew Rhys would be the better man. I trusted that he would do the right thing. I felt confident that he loved Helen too much to question whether they should be together or not. I loved that I never doubted Rhys Winterborne and even in my review of Cold Hearted Rake, knew that his misdeed wasn’t a true representation of him.[/spoiler] Again, Rhys proved his worth in accepting he made a mistake and apologised when he was in the wrong. Ahhh…my hearts aflutter.

I thoroughly enjoyed Marrying Winterborne and cannot wait for Devil In Spring. That teaser at the end…I’ve really missed those Wallflowers. Makes me want to read that series again.